M’Girl infuses Indigenous Themes with “Western” Vocal Harmonies

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M’Girl infuses Indigenous Themes with “Western” Vocal Harmonies – Straight.com

by ahnationtalk on October 21, 2019574 Views

October 19th, 2019

There’s a singularly surprising moment in the video for M’Girl’s song “Eyes Wide Open.” You see black and white footage of First Nations children, dressed like 1950’s schoolkids, sitting at tiny desks, and immediately presume you’re looking at footage of residential school children in the process of having their culture and language stolen from them.

Then the camera pans right, and the teacher turns out to be a First Nations woman. Which changes everything, and kind of catches you by the heart.

The director of “Eyes Wide Open,” and leader of M’Girl, is Renae Morriseau. She explains that the author of the song, Sheila Maracle—a former member of the band, now a mother living in her home community of 6 Nations in Ontario—is also a teacher. “Her personal story—as it is for many of us Indigenous peeps—includes experience with residential schools.”